The Ultimate Prank
by Lizmun
Summary: The biggest prank I ever did was when I first took the Kyuubi kid out for a bowl of ramen. It was such a great prank that even I, in the end, was the one that ended up being played on. Iruka
1. Default Chapter

The Ultimate Prank,  
by Lizmun

_--_

_The biggest prank I ever did was when I first took the Kyuubi kid out for a bowl of ramen. It was such a great prank that even I, in the end, was the one that ended up being played on._

_--_

"I dare ya!"

"No way, Anko! Like Hell will I ever do that!!"

Mitarashi Anko, in all her seventeen years of glory, glared down at the scarred-nose teen pouting before her. The boy had his arms crossed defiantly and his head had turned away to give the appearance of disinterest. However, Anko wasn't fooled by the other's little act. She saw that spark of challenge flare at the boy's brown eyes when she mentioned the word "dare"; it was his weakness and his strength wrapped in that four letter word. It was that very word that pushed this boy to make a name for himself, to prove he wasn't one to be overlooked, pitied or pushed around.

It was that word that gave Umino Iruka the meaning to live.

"What is the big deal? It's not like anyone would care what happens to... _him_! In fact, many of us agree that kid needs to learn his place! Did you know that he was the one who placed those cherry bombs in poor Hanako-sensei's class last week?"

Iruka couldn't help but give the slightest of smirks here. Of course he knew that the boy was responsible for that prank, and frankly he was kind of glad for it. Hanako-sensei was the academy's strictest, crudest, foul-mouthed and worst behaved kunoichi instructor... that is, if you happened to be male. In fact, some students believed she was only teaching because she had a "thing" for girls only. And boy did it show, especially when 90 of her classes were female-only, and to those students Hanako-sensei was the "best teacher they could ever want". Stupid girls, what did they know? Hanako was always so kind to them, so tolerant and so caring that it made a guy nauseous yet jealous at the same time, and it didn't help either that she was also considered one of the loveliest kunoichi in Konoha. Still, Hanako-sensei hardly gave a flying rat's ass to any the boys of the school, and even went as far sometimes to publicly humiliate any of them in front of her class. He should know, he had been on the receiving end of one of her "lectures of humiliation" several times.

However, as much as he hated the Kyuubi-kid, he couldn't help but give him props on behalf of the male population for taking down that witch a few notches.

Still, despite that grudging notch of respect for the demon, Iruka couldn't believe of the task that was set out by the girl before him. Sure they've been best buds since before they graduated the academy together. There was not one prank he himself did that hadn't involved Anko as a co-conspirator or accomplice. Still, despite their close history, this particular task was just too much, even for her sadistic tendencies.

"Don't care, Anko! I can't believe you, of all people, would make me do this. You know how much I hate him. I want nothing to do with that bastard, yet you want me to pretend to be his friend? Give me one good reason why I should listen to you?"

Suddenly a chill ran down the boy's spine as he observed his friend's lips curl into that sadistic grin she was known for... that sadistic grin that equaled that of the most feared missing nins of Konoha, that one of her previous sensei, Orochimaru of the three-nin.

"Because... if you don't do what I say, Hell will be paradise compared to what I'll do to you."

Yep... Orochimaru would be so proud of his student if he saw her now. Allowing his shoulders to slump down in defeat, Iruka turned to cocky girl before him and pouted.

"... bitch..." Anko simply turned her previous grin into the cutest smile she could muster and leaned down to give the boy a slight peck on the scarred nose he was famous for, yet her eyes till danced with sadistic merriment.

"Love you too, Iruka."

--

Arrgh!! I don't know if I should continue this! I'm already withering in agony here of how mean Iruka-sensei is portrayed! Anyone who knows me knows that I'm an avid obsessor of Iruka. To make him the "villain"... well... let's just say I'm having mixed feelings about it, so I'll get back to you on it later. :D

I finished an article report and, while still in "Write as much BS as you can to fill up 3 pages" mode, my Muse popped up with this idea of "the ultimate prank!" I just had to write it down before I burst.

I'm sooo reminded of "Cruel Intentions" and countless other Teen movies here.


	2. Reason

The Ultimate Prank  
Chap 2  
By Lizmun

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The shadows were a ninja's best friend, and for Iruka, the shadows were his soul mates. Blending well like two handfuls of water, Iruka used the surroundings to the best of his abilities as he inconspicuous followed the 5 year old blond-boy terror known as the Kyuubi.

If there was one thing Iruka knew how to do, it was to become unnoticed. Sometimes it was intentional, especially when he needed to hide after a well-placed prank. Other times, it was placed upon him without mercy. He could be standing in the middle of a busy street, wearing the brightest and the most ludicrous of outfits and not one pair of eyes would glance down at him to acknowledge him.

People had their own problems, and none were too keen to add a neglected, loud-mouth teen to that list.

Just like the Kyuubi boy, Iruka was a reminder of that one fateful day as well. While it was true that many other families had suffered major losses that night, it was also true that many other children had become orphans that night as well... however, those children had extended family that took them in. With the help of their loved ones, these children had learned to adapt, to grieve, and to carry-on faster than the poor scarred-nose boy. Iruka was the only one who didn't have welcoming arms awaiting him after the funeral.

Dark skin, effeminate, lanky build, marred looks, and exuberant when it came to pranks, the boy was always frowned upon and teased by the other children, even before the tragedy. His mother had always tried to cheer him up stating that the children were simply jealous of his cleverness, and if they didn't want to be his friend, then they'd make excellent targets.

His father, on the other hand, had simply rolled his eyes humorously at his "loving wife", then pulled the boy into an embrace, even ruffled the boy's pony-tail at times. His father would then explain that not everyone would like him... and he in turn might not like someone else either. Harsh as it may seem, that was life and sometimes there just wasn't anything anyone could do but live it the best one could and do what they felt was right.

His mother had never once fallen into the stereotypical role of that of a "demure housewife", not that Iruka had minded. It was that sort of thing that made him love her more.

Such the same could be said about his father. Iruka had always held the man with awe and with the highest of regards. Although calm and wise beyond any other ninja Iruka knew (other than the old geezer, the Sandaime) Iruka's father was also blunt and truthful to the ways of life.

"There was nothing "sugar-coated" about a ninja's life," Iruka's father would say.

Whereas his mother had been brash and obstreperous, Iruka's father was blunt and sagacious. Mother was the brawn, his father the brains. The Yang and the Yin. They were the two halves of a whole that had completed Iruka's life.

Iruka desperately tried to conceal the killing intent boiling inside him as he glared upon his clueless target.

Trying to quell the surging emotions within, Iruka's thoughts turned to the cause of his current torment. Anko had been the only person Iruka knew that had stayed with him the longest: Through the good and through the bad, with more times the latter than the former. Both had graduated the ninja academy at the same time and both were also the product of catastrophic circumstances.

Both teens had ambitions of proving themselves upon the condescending glares of the adults of the village. For Iruka, the glares gave hints of mistrust. His family had been exiled from their home-country, which had also been an enemy to that of the Fire Country. It was hard for ninjas to trust anyone, even less so those who were once considered former adversaries. Some people still questioned the Sandaime's sanity when he allowed the Umino's into the village.

For Anko, the glares gave hints of fear. She had always had a drive for power, to be the best among the village and she would not let anything or anyone stand in her way... even if that meant putting her teammate's lives in peril.

What brought more fear was the fact that Orochimaru had seen this drive as well, and welcomed it. He had taken the girl under his wing and taught what she needed to know to improve, to survive and stand over the rest with insurmountable power.

The cost of this lesson was her soul.

The relationship of Iruka and Anko was not of close friendship, but more of a camaraderie or more-so a kinship of similarities. When Anko had been discharged from the hospital, after receiving the curse, Iruka hadn't looked at her with looks of pity (something many of the adults had done relentlessly). It was one of the few things Anko would be forever grateful of.

Iruka knew Anko would never be the same again. No longer would she have that glimmer of childlike innocence, but rather her eyes would now constantly carry a stagnant sense of torment... towards herself or towards others. Still, Iruka knew that this had been her choice and knowing Anko like he did, he knew deep down she somewhat did not regret her decision to go through what she did.

Orochimaru may have had provided the means, but Anko had provided the will.

A shout drew Iruka away from his thoughts. Focusing back on his initial target, Iruka watched callously as the blond-haired six year old was shoved carelessly to the ground by an older boy. The Kyuubi, not pleased with the manner of being treated, raised his voice and shouted words of protest and defiance, only to receive another shove to the ground and an added kick to the side for good measure.

As the older boy walked away, Iruka couldn't help but watch smirk with the slightest of admiration at the younger boy. The kid was now shakily getting back onto his feet, eyes narrowed at the retreating form of his assailant with an expression of anger, hurt, sadness and indignation. However, that look was quickly dispelled as the boy then did a three-sixty in emotions and was now smiling as brightly as his blond sunny hair.

It was enough to make Iruka feel sick. What gave that... thing the right to smile so lightly, so carefree... so naturally? Iruka couldn't also help but feel a slight bit of jealousy swarm within him at the boy's expression. Iruka recalled having had smiled like that before, back when his parents was alive. Now it seemed that not only had the Kyuubi taken his parents... but also had taken his smile as well.

No... there would be no way in the seven layers of Hell would Iruka forgive that monster. With a slight smirk of maliciousness, Iruka drew away from the shadows and began to pursue the bright-eyed boy. The Kyuubi had brought misery into Iruka's life by taking all that he held dear... now it was Iruka's turn to bring misery back to it.

--

So happy to see so many people interested in me continuing this! I'm trying to make this angsty, dark and still remain In character.

Not an easy thing, mind you.

Anyway, I thought I was being original with this, but I found another fic that somewhat corelates to this type of idea. " Guardian" by Miashin. But different, but worth checking out too if you like these type of stories.

C&C Wanted:  
Please Apply Within.


	3. The Test

Sorry about the lack of update. Been working, moving, and looking for a new place to call "mi casa." I've also been dealing with family issues and friend issues. It's hectic. However, it's the same stress from this hectic lifestyle that inspired me to write.

Go figure.

I don't own the characters, but they own me.

Prank 3

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama?"

Iruka peeked past the heavy wooden door and into the sunlit room. His eyes glanced over the large desk full of some unopened and some sprawled out scrolls of various sizes. Books and towers of paperwork pyramided before an old and lightly-cloaked man. The elder, looking up from his tasks, glanced at the entrance to acknowledge the boy's arrival.

"Ah, Iruka! Come in. Have a seat."

With a nod and a soft grunt of affirmation, Iruka did as he was told. Quietly making his way towards the plush chair in front of the large mahogany-colored desk, Iruka took a moment to glance down at the superior ninja. The Hokage had returned to his paperwork the moment the boy stepped into the room, his hand moving in graceful gestures to write down responses and comments to the files before him.

The test had begun.

Iruka had been called into this office far too many times to not be ignorant of this game Sarutobi-sama had been playing with him. Granted, it had taken a while to figure it out, but it had been quite simple due to his constant and repetitive visits. The Hokage, in all appearance, it would give the impression that he was ignoring the boy, taking precedence over the paperwork before him rather than getting to the task at hand with his summoned visitor. This could not have been further from the truth. Iruka knew what the Sandaime was doing. He knew he was being carefully observed and assessed for a flaw or a slip of character, despite the other's appearance. That was how he had been "caught" for his past pranks.

The man wasn't the Sandaime for nothing. Then again, Iruka wasn't the number-one prankster in Konoha for nothing either.

Taking care to keep his breathing calm, Iruka sat "patiently" for the Hokage to finish, inwardly restraining his body from panicking. Iruka knew that even if his chakra grew a notch above standards, his eye brow twitched involuntarily, or if even a single droplet of sweat formed before his brow, he was done for. Total control of one's body was needed to win this game.

What made it even more difficult was the fact that he didn't know why he had been summoned here in the first place. He hadn't done anything… yet. Still, he refrained from saying anything. Instead Iruka gave a bored pout at the elder, idly cleaning the grime under his fingernails then scratched an area in his lower left leg with his right toe to give the appearance of youthful impatience.

Being "too proper or too calm", he had found out earlier, had also ended the game.

One thing was for sure, since figuring out the grasp of this game, Iruka had been getting away with more and more of his pranks. Iruka did not know if the Sandaime was aware of Iruka's understanding of the test, but the he wanted to give the elder a bit more credit than that. Iruka had taken these trials as a form of "training" to help control his emotions and to hone his skills as a ninja. If he passed, he reckoned that then the Hokage would "forgive" his childish tricks as a reward. A win-win situation, if you asked him.

A tired and almost disappointed sigh broke Iruka away from his musing. Tilting his head in quiet inquiry, he watched as his superior set down his pen and entwined bony fingers underneath a wrinkled and age-spotted nose. For a while nothing had been said, causing more tension to fill the room, but Iruka was an experienced player of this game. He would not lose this time. The other seemed to know this and nodded to himself, deciding to go a different path.

"Iruka, what are your intentions towards Naruto?"

Iruka flinched. There was just something about the Hokage's stern and cold, authoritative voice that always got to him, especially when normally the elder would speak to him almost like an equal. Cursing himself inwardly for his reaction, thus having lost the game, Iruka sighed, but then directed a curious but steady gaze at the elder.

"I don't understand what you mean, sir." Perhaps the Hokage could mistake his flinch as that of shock? It was still too early in the game to have completely lost. However Iruka then knew that would not be the case as the elder rose his hand up to halt any further thoughts and protests.

"No games, Iruka. I've been receiving reports that you have been following the boy for quite some time now. Although no interaction has been made, it's still highly suspicious, even for you."

Inwardly, these words brought a surge of anger to the scarred-nose boy. It wasn't as if he was doing anything wrong. He was simply "observing" the little twerp, and last he checked, there was no harm in that. If he had done anything against the boy, then Iruka would understand the Hokage's concern… but following someone consistently wasn't basis to be called into the office, otherwise he'd never leave this room.

So the Kyuubi had a name? Naruto? That had almost made him scoff. The Hokage also had someone keeping track of him, eh? That, in itself, wasn't surprising. Perhaps it was a Jounin, or an ANBU, Iruka thought excitedly, if during all of his "stalking" he didn't take notice of anyone else in the perimeter. Iruka would have thought, however, that the Hokage wouldn't mind these extra pair of eyes on the Kyuubi. Musing over the Sandaime's words, Iruka then realized what had fueled his anger. The whole nine-tails incident was still too recent for Iruka to have completely forgotten the mannerism of his former protectors, however he was still able to recognize the disappointed tone in the Hokage's questioning; in fact, there was a hint of parental protectiveness TOWARDS the Kyuubi!

On the other side of the desk, Sarutobi quietly observed as the melee of emotions flashed through the recently-graduated chuunin's eyes. He could only imagine what the young man was thinking; then again, there were times when he wondered if he should even bother trying to figure out what went into that boy's head. Iruka was a clever boy, a quick thinker that could analyze the situation in several possible angles, and then respond to the best advantage. Of course, it was these very same attributes that got the boy into trouble the majority of the time. While it was true that many children had become orphans as well during the Kyuubi attack, Iruka had been the only child without an extended family to fall back to. It didn't help that his family had no known bloodline and had once been considered "outsiders" and "enemies of Konoha". This secluded Iruka even more so from the villagers and their willingness to help the orphan.

When Sarutobi himself admitted the Uminos into Konoha, it was only because they did not have a bloodline that they could be permitted into the village. Iruka's father, a hawk-eyed and broad-shouldered warrior, had kneeled before the Hokage in desperate position, with his forehead touching the ground, as he begged for sanctuary. Iruka's mother, with swollen belly about to burst with life, could only lower her eyes in humbled stare. Although the eyes were averted, Sarutobi could still remember clearly how expressive those eyes were; so shamed, so saddened, and yet, so hopeful to give a better life to the one growing inside her. They had fled their homes, in the Water Country, due to political reasons. Their new Mizukage, who had acquired his position from his victories in the war, was a womanizing fiend and had wished to expand his bloodline greatly. He had threatened to kill off the unborn child, and then mate with the married woman for his own needs. Still, as leader of a ninja village, Sarutobi was prepared to deny them access, in fact, he had done so by turning his back on the refugees then and there at the gate. The war was still fresh in his village's minds and he could not allow the opportunity for a sneak attack.

But, if the Uminos were anything, they were persistently stubborn.

For two weeks the Uminos had "camped" outside the main gate of Konohakagure. Iruka's father had set up a small tent just a few meters from the wall, and would disappear at intervals during the day as he hunted for food and brought water back to his wife. Other times he would be found outside the tent, re-sewing his worn-out and tattered clothing. Iruka's mother, on the other hand, would earn a small keep by sharpening the weapons of whoever would pass by. Many, who had asked for her skills, had left impressed with how sharp and well polished their weapons would turn in the end. When the sun was especially harsh on her, she would sit beneath the shade of the gate to do her trade and would sometimes start trading dirty jokes with the guards on duty.

It didn't take long for the curiosity of the villagers to get involved with the situation. Women and grandmothers of the village would sometimes come out and offer fruit and other pre-cooked meals to the soon-to-be-mother to help provide essential nutrition to the unborn child. Children of all ages would swarm around Iruka's father as he entertained them with weapon tricks such as juggling kunai and target practice. Still, despite the seemingly accepting behavior of the village, they were still cautious about the two, and had still refused to allow them stay.

And then Iruka came.

A young Tsunade was the one who brought attention to the mother's labor. As a mednin, she had wanted to keep tabs on fetus' progress. Although the family was considered an "enemy" to the village, a life was a life, and this child was not to be blamed for their parent's transgressions. She was about to do her bi-weekly check up when she noticed that there was a fluctuating of chakra coming from the Umino's tent. Although the chakra was non-threatening, several of the jounin guards and an ANBU had come to investigate. One of the jounins even went as far as to peek into the tent, only to scramble back (followed by a few choice words that had come from inside the tent), his face flushed red with embarrassment. When inquired, he could only choke out a few words before he then grabbed Tsunade by the wrist and pushed the mednin towards the opening. After gathering her wits, Tsunade took in the situation before her and gasped. There laid a birthing mother, lying on her back, body drenched with sweat. Her breath was coming out in broken harsh gasps and she muttered the occasional curse word just a notch above slight hearing range. Her husband sat beside her, soothing her hair in nervous and broken movements, with an expression of confusion and fear etched in his chiseled face. The mother-to-be and the mednin both looked up and each met each other's eyes. Tsunade would still recount how Iruka's mother's eyes were so happy and yet fearful, but what she remembered most was the slight apologetic look to them.

This would not do! There was no way would she allow a child to be born in such conditions, especially when there was a fully functional hospital available nearby. Snapping into authoritative mode, Tsunade ordered the husband to pick up his wife and follower her back to the hospital. When one of the Jounin guards intercepted, she simply glared at him and pushed him aside. Of course the girl was not cautious of her strength, so the ninja had flown back a few feet. Tsunade had then declared she would take full responsibility of the family up until the child was born, and then it would be back to the decision of the council and the Hokage.

In the end, the council had allowed the Uminos to stay in Konoha, however under permanent probation. Although the two head Uminos had behaved in accordance to the land's laws ever since, and had even participated in several missions for Konoha, they would never be recognized as shinobi of the land. Sadly as well, even though they had fought bravely against the Kyuubi, and had given their lives up for the protection of the village, they were not recognized as Fire-country shinobi, thus their names would not be placed under the memorial… much to Iruka's dismay. Sarutobi had guessed that had been one of the underlying cause for the boy's misbehavior, but that was life, and sadly, there was nothing he could do about it. However, because Iruka had been born within the walls of Konoha, the probation had not fallen onto him, and for that the elder was grateful.

"What's with that smile, old man?"

A simple blink was all the sign that the Hokage was surprised with the interruption. It had only been half a minute of real time that had passed, but he had become so involved with his musing that he had nearly forgot about his audience. Iruka was starring back at the aged ninja, and just like his mother, his eyes were expressive and lively with whatever the owner was feeling. At this moment they were still frustrated yet slightly amused, perhaps at catching his leader off guard. With a simple intake and release of breath, Sarutobi returned his attention back to the chuunin before him, smile never leaving his wizened face.

"You have improved in your tracking and stealth, according to the reports submitted. You simply need to be more aware of your surroundings. One of my ANBU quoted "… the teen was good at hiding his presence to everyone around him. I had but taken my eyes off the teen for a second and it had taken me nearly ten seconds more to locate him once more. The chuunin's only flaw, however, was that he was overly focused on the target. I had sent him warning signals and they had gone either ignored or unnoticed…" You've done well to definitely make a good impression on this particular ANBU, but now, Iruka, I ask you again. What are your intentions towards the boy?"

* * *

Bah! Why am I stopping here? Probably because I figured I may as well pause here and update before I completely forget about this fic. I think I may know where I want to go with this story… I want to bring Young Kakashi in it as well, and Kakairu'ness is a possibility, but then again maybe not. I don't want to make it a cliché story. 


	4. Trust

I was offered a mail-order Muse to help me continue this story, but once my original muse got wind of that, she rushed back… in a drunken stupor and started to slam ideas in my head with a wet fish.

Upon regaining consciousness, it took several days to decode the weird gibberish my Muse spoke to me and finally I was able to write the next segment of the story.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

I don't own Naruto or any of the characters within… however I don't mind being owned by Iruka rawr!

---

Iruka dared to glance over at Sandaime, and peered into those wizened, aged eyes. For a brief moment, Iruka was tempted to spill everything; the dare, the guilt, the fear, the sadness, the loneliness that Iruka had been keeping in throughout these past 4, nearly 5 years since the Kyuubi event. His measly seventeen years of age could not even compare to how much the elder before him had lived and experienced, at least according to those eyes before him.

"…I…"

Shaking his head, Iruka hastily composed himself out of his 'weakness.' He was Chuunin, for crying out loud, and has been chuunin for about a year. If he ever were to exceed his own expectations (not to mention everyone else who has doubted him since the beginning) and become jounin, he would have to wise up and control his emotions better. It was the ninja code!

Scrambling his thoughts together, he craftily composed an excuse or reason to answer the Sandaime. It would not do to lie to his 'superior officer,' but that did not mean he could not 'provide another truth' either. Taking a deep breath, Iruka stood stoically towards his surrogate father figure, using direct eye contact, and using up whatever luck he had left in this life to make sure he didn't botch up in the slightest.

"I love Konoha, Hokage-sama. I would willingly and without regret give my life for the citizens that I love." It was here that Iruka's pose relaxed slightly, his eyes shifting to the side and a hand reached up to absently scratch the nape of his neck. "Sure, I'll pull the occasional prank still on several of the people… especially if they deserve it." Turning back to face Sarutobi, Iruka regained eye contact, this time his pose was more direct and his voice tightened with fervor. "But no matter what, I love everyone in this village!"

Well… so much for "controlling one's emotions" Iruka disdainfully thought to himself.

Sarutobi, during the entire elucidation, showed his true skill as a superior ninja by not showing an ounce of emotion, despite the man's inner and overwhelming urge to smile at the passionate boy before him. To smile would mean the game was over, and boy would again claim yet another victory. Still, the game was not over, as the question posed earlier had yet to be answered.

Still, whether the elusion of the original question was intentional or not, Sarutobi had to give the boy credit. Iruka knew how to "play" on another's overlying and even underlying feelings and beliefs and gain sympathy in an otherwise oppositional and resistant environment. Such skill was always useful in the ninja world, especially in the areas of interrogation and reconnaissance. Perhaps Iruka would do well to accompany the young Ibiki in several upper-level missions? But that would be for another day.

With eyes cold as steel, the Sandaime glared down at the young boy… a remarkable feat seeing as the boy was now inches taller than the elder, and Iruka had been standing for the past several minutes.

"As commendable as that may be, that still does not answer my question, Iruka... Now, answer me as to why the near-obsession over the young boy, or…or we can dilly-dally all night. Age does provide me much patience that youth so desperately lacks, if you can so humbly recall."

At this, Iruka couldn't help but let out a soft snort under his breath. Oh yes, kami-almighty only knew the lengths to the Hokage's patience. Many of times had Iruka "tested" the limits, at even one point there had been the infamous stand-off between the young boy and the elder for 3 continuous days. Iruka had stubbornly refused to admit to a prank that had involved some carbonated tablets, ducks, dye and the women's bath. In the end, however, hunger, thirst and exhaustion had caused the young lad to withdraw and confess, but not without having gained a bit of underlying respect from the Elder about the boy's "obstinacy." Still, it had been an exhausting day… no, week for the boy and although home had been a place Iruka had been avoiding lately, bed and sleep were always welcome.

For a few tense moments, nothing had been said. The only movement belonged to the stressed pinching the younger man had imposed on his own facial scar, as he tried to rub away the frustration… and to buy a bit of time for himself.

"You had stated…" Iruka began hesitantly, straining to keep his emotions once again in check. "You had stated that the Kyuubi lives inside the brat…I mean, Naruto. The Kyuubi is an enemy to entire village, if not the entire Fire Country." Here, Iruka paused, struggling to swallow the forming lump in his throat. Images from the attack replayed in his mind, memories as fresh as those of what he had for breakfast. Taking a deep breath, the boy continued.

"I may love… all of the people here, but I can count the people I fully trust with one hand, and still have fingers left over. I can never forgive the Kyuubi for what he's done to me… to Konoha. But… but you seem to have faith that boy can be safe… that he can be trusted. You're one of the few people I truly trust, so if you trust the kid…." Closing his eyes, Iruka tightened his fist, as if painfully straining to say the next words, as though each word were coated in glass and nails to scrape his tongue. "If you can trust him, then… then I want to trust him too… and I can only do so if I learned more about the boy."

Iruka had wanted to say more. To add to the effect he wanted to compare how the Sandaime had taken the chance to trust his own family, but such thoughts still caused him to choke up and thus shut off any other words that may have been expressed, leaving the room tense and awaiting with resolution.

Sarutobi mulled over the words and lowered his eyes. He knew Iruka had wanted to say more, but what had been said was already enough. With the barest slight of a smile, the Hokage of the boy's birth-village eyed the young man before him and gave a brisk nod.

"…Very well. I shall allow you to continue to observe Naruto, and I shall inform of the ANBU of this. In fact, I am going to request a bit of an increase in your allowance so that you may take the initiative to get to know the boy a bit better. You may find you have some similarities in your tastes of take-out." At this, the elder's smile was broad and carefree, a bit of hope shimmered in those wizened but exuberant eyes. "Now get out of here, unless you want to help out fill out some of this paperwork for me?"

Iruka couldn't help but visibly cringe of the thought of doing paperwork; still, he couldn't help but wipe off the grin that was now plastered on his face. With the permission of the Hokage to continue his reconnaissance on the brat, it would clear up a lot of obstacles for him. Now… what to do about the ANBU? The chronic presence of an elite-ninja could damper his plans of performing a vengeful prank on the tyke. Suddenly a mischievous thought entered the boy's head.

"Hokage-sama? Speaking of ANBU, perhaps you may want to have a word with the one "guarding" Naruto? In the two days I was observing him, he's been bullied several times, kicked, punched, extorted, cussed out at and chased out of several stores. Not exactly "keeping the boy from harm" is it? Anyway! G'night Hokage-sama! Sleep well in your pillow of paperwork!"

With those final words lingering in the air, and a flurry of dust and sheets of paper twirling around the room, the youth disappeared… as well as the smile on the elder-man's face. Indeed, he too had been receiving reports on continuous abuse on the boy; the boy, however, had yet to file a complaint on the several occurrences where the elder had treated the boy out for dinner. Still, to allow several of the incidents to go unpunished and un-reprimanded was unacceptable, and indeed a stern talking to with the caretakers of the vessel would need to be scheduled.

"Hmm, if they're graduating kids who can't take note of their surroundings, nor keep their emotions at check… it makes me wonder what lies ahead for the future of Konoha's ninja. You really have your work cut out for you, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi had smirked at the hidden presence within the room. Iruka had continued seemingly unaware that there had been an additional member in the conversation for quite a while. In fact, it had not been the ninja's aura that had alerted the elder to the new presence, but rather the stagnant, underlying stench of fresh and old blood. This smell was unique only to the utmost elite ninja; a smell particular to specifically ANBU members. The aura was almost none-existent, and it even compared to the aura nature-itself provided. However, an astute and experienced ninja could tell you that this particular level of aura could be found only in central parts of jungles or nature, not within a sleeping community of ninja and civilians. What also helped the elder to identify the ninja was false sense of aloofness and carelessness that the aura seemed to extrude. Only one of his ninja seemed to bring out this aura, while others seemed to extrude a false sense of security and a false sense of ignorance if not naivety to the dangers that would befall them.

"Iruka has already proved himself to be an excellent Chuunin in many of his missions, but I agree, if he were ever to excel beyond that, he would need to work on his falling-points, and sadly, even I have my concerns on that. Then again, I've had my concerns over some of your falling-points… especially some newly acquired bad habits… but see how far you've gone? This, however, is not the time for such matters. Tell me; what is your report, Kakashi?"

A lanky, thin lad of 19 excretes slowly from the shadows. A shock of blinding white hair, glared brightly from the moonlight, momentarily blinds anyone unaware of the effect. A Noh-styled mask, decorated in the style of a wild canine, hung deftly tied around a loop over the boy's hip. The boy was clad in skin-tight black material; flexible and breathable, but maintained the body-temperature constant when necessary. Over the material, a bone-colored armor shielded vulnerable areas of the body, providing a last-minute protection should the owner's skills momentary lapse. The young man's face is covered two-thirds of the way, with only the right, silver-blue eye exposed. The other eye is covered with the Konoha headband (altered slightly to allow a skewed placement over the face). The nose and lower part of the face is covered by the same material as the body-fabric and demonstrating either the fabric is breathable, or the owner has other unorthodox methods of obtaining oxygen. The outfit itself commands respect and prestige among the ninja citizens of Konoha, and many who don the uniform wear it with pride, however from the slouched body-language the elder-teen exhibits, one may believe the man to be careless or bored about the high-status placed upon him.

Kakashi straightens up slightly, only to bow slightly at the elder before him and begins his report. "Sources state that Orochimaru, has taken over the land formerly known as "Rice-Field Country" and has now renamed it as the Country of the Sound. It is still undiscovered where Orochimaru is hiding, but sources say that he is reportedly seen in the surrounding countries, recruiting members for his village. There have been some rumors that Orochimaru has several hide-outs in these surrounding countries. Any further attempt for information has been met with severe resistance to the point where we nearly lost several members of the team. It was within our best tactical advantage to retreat for the time being until our informants drop their guard again.."

Sarutobi could only heave a heavy and exhausted sigh as a response from the grim news brought to him. Things were not boding well within and outside the walls of Konoha. Already the village has barely skimmed past several potential wars since the Kyuubi attack. Despite it all, it still amazed the Hokage, to a great deal, how much the villagers have endured and prospered since the major loss of their previous leader and practically half the village. Picking themselves up from the ashes to continue living, despite the odds provided to them.

"The fire may have dimmed within the spirit of Konoha, but it is still not out."

"Hokage-sama?"

Shaking his head to clear from his inner-musing, the Sandaime turned towards his prodigy-ninja and gave a slight nod, wordlessly stating that the report and mission would be deemed "completed and successful." Kakashi returned the nod to his superior officer and turned towards the door, ready to take his leave for a well-needed rest… when fate, apparently had different plans. As the saying went, the boy supposed 'no rest for the weary.'

"Kakashi? One moment. I have another mission for you."

Amazingly enough, Kakashi was able to successfully hold back a whine of protest and a quick a roll of the eye as the ninja turned back to his elder and nodded in submission, ready to take on the task that lay before him.

"Kakashi, I understand that you may be exhausted, but I feel you are the best candidate for this mission. Within the past month of your absence, concerns have been arising surrounding the Kyuubi vessel. As you've heard from Iruka, attacks against Naruto still continue, despite intervention and supervision. Your mission is to find these people responsible for these attacks and report them to Ibiki. He shall be debriefed on the situation, and will take the necessary steps to see that they are justly reprimanded for their indiscretions. Meanwhile keep an eye on Naruto, but stay incognito. The boy should not know of your presence unless deemed necessary, is that understood?"

Kakashi could only furrow his brows in response. Of course the instructions given were clear and direct, however the purpose was not.

"Hokage-sama, couldn't you assign this task to a lesser jounin? Surely my skills as ANBU could be beneficial elsewhere."

Sarutobi meanwhile prepared a pipe, feeling as if no more work would be done for the rest of the night, and simply took a moment to relax. Puffing out a large cloud of white smoke up into the air, the elder closed his eyes and nodded in affirmation.

"This is true, and as it is, we are in short supply of elite jounin to complete our higher-ranked tasks at the moment, but you've been taking missions non-stop for the past few months, Kakashi. I will not have my shinobi exhaust themselves unnecessarily and risk the status of a mission and their team. This is an order, Kakashi!" With a simple glare and a raise of the hand, the elder prevented any argument from the younger ninja. "Still, I know you grow impatient when idle, so thus I'm providing this mission for you. I will even classify and commission it as a A-rank mission solely for the fact that you will not only keep an eye out on Naruto, but on Iruka as well."

The genius prodigy of the village mulled over the information and the additional task, and with brilliancy beyond his years, he uttered the first thing that came into mind.

"Huh?"

"Iruka's a good kid at heart and a brilliant ninja when he's focused on his task. Despite his lack of bloodline, he has shown an intelligence that rivals near genius and excels in Taijutsu, speed and stamina; however he seems to be taken in by the wrong crowds lately. One is a civilian gang that lives in the same apartment complex as he does, however the one you must keep your eye on is an old accomplice to Iruka and former student of Orochimaru, Anko Mitsurashi. At first his pranks had been just harmless calls for attention, seeing as Iruka himself has been sadly placed within the system himself, but lately, I have noted an increase of malice behind these "jokes." Whether the malice of these pranks are from internal or external influences remains to be seen, your task is to redirect Iruka way from these negative influences and isolate the cause of this malice. Interact with the boy. What Iruka needs is a positive role-model… but I suppose you'll do for now."

Kakashi shorted and shook his head. The tone of voice and light aura from the elder told the ninja that those last words were done in jest, and in turn, Kakashi couldn't help but feel amused, if not slightly miffed from the jab. Still, the task set upon him was different, and difference in missions were always challenging, something Kakashi took joy in partaking. One thing nagged Kakashi, however, causing his earlier amusement to dissipate quickly. Turning around, the silver-haired ninja headed towards the exit, only to pause just as he was about to reach the door. Without even tilting his head to make eye-contact with his superior, Kakashi then brings up the inevitable and voiced out his underlying concern over his newly provided mission.

"Hokage-sama…. Iruka stated that he trusts you, and that you are one of the few if not only person he trusts. How will you suppose he will react when he finds that you do not trust him?"

For what seemed like the longest while, silence was the only answer for the young ninja. Just as the man was about make a quiet exit, a loud exhalation of air distracts him, followed by a monotone voice from the elder.

"Before I am a friend and citizen of Konoha, I am first and foremost the Hokage, and it is my duty to try to provide and protect the citizens, even from themselves if needed. I… no Konoha cannot allow another incident like Orochimaru's transgression to happen again. As Hokage, if needed, sacrifices must be made to ensure the security of the entirety of the village, even if means betraying one single citizen's fragile trust and faith as a means. Iruka has surprised me in the past, so I cannot say I know how he may react. My deepest desire is to redirect Iruka to a positive path that would ensure him a place in society in a positive aspect, and I still have faith that the boy can be saved from himself and this is simply a rebellious phase all children go through…. However… "

The trailing of the voice and the long pause finally pushed the ANBU to tilt his head around to look at his leader, one confused eye to a determined yet regretful pair of eyes. What was said in those aged and tired eyes were feelings of regret, of sorrow, of sadness, and yet of determination and conveyed more to the ninja than any words could at the moment. With a finalizing nod, the silver-haired ninja turned back and opened the door, his expression similar to the elder as he too conveyed a grim and resolute expression.

"Understood. The safety of the village over-exceeds that of a single citizen. I accept the mission."

---------------------------------

Ages so far: Kakashi 19 (born September), Iruka 17 (Born March), and Anko (born October). I'm placing the date of this story around November… otherwise I'd have Iruka 18.

Yeah, I'm weird like that, don't mind me.

No, this is probably not like any other Naruto story you may read, and you may think that the characters can be OCC, but I think… given the circumstances, the events here can be quite plausible… and that's what I'm aiming for: In character, plausible drama/angst.

It's a tough job, but I'm having fun, and I hope you are too!

Comments and Criticisms wanted:

Please apply within!


	5. Dominance

_Took me long enough, I know, but I had to remember the plot of this here story._

_Its back, and it has a purpose now! Woot!_

_Disclaimer: Characters don't belong to me, but my insanity is mine! All mine!  
A lot of use of the "F" word. If you don't like it, cover your ears.  
Not exactly Boy-boy love, but not yaoi. Just a twisted and dysfunctional relationship.  
_

_But oddly enough, it's not KakaIru... yet.  
_

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The moonless night shadowed the leaf village, bringing with it a leaden darkness that served to hide the secrets that lay within the ninja town. In the daytime, the village portrayed itself as a seemingly harmless and lively city flourished with average, everyday people, hustling and bustling about in their average, everyday mundane tasks. At night, however, was when the true keepers of the city came out. Only when the sun had long set in the horizon was when the assassins, the weapon-crazed, the blood-born sentinels, the infiltrators and the deceivers came out and mingled with each other.

All the while the exhausted and defenseless morning-bound citizens slept peacefully and feeling ironically well protected by these dwellers of the night.

Still, despite the citizens knowing that these nocturnal creatures were meant to protect the village, it was still an unspoken rule that none should venture into the night, less they do so at their own risk. Any citizen would be oh-so vulnerable to confrontation between ninja (whether between friends or foes) or worse yet, they may experience confrontation against one of the newly appointed night-dwellers who stirred things up unnecessarily in the hopes of making a name for themselves or simply to chase away boredom.

"Well, well, well! If it ain't the little sea-pig! I haven't seen you around these parts for a while. What brings you to MY turf?"

Unfortunately even fellow ninja were not safe from the same night-dwellers that inundated themselves within the shadows. Wanting so much to reach up and pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration, Iruka slowed to stop from his journey to his apartment. With slow and deliberate movements, he shifted his head slightly to look over his shoulder as to half-heartedly acknowledge the owner of the voice and the voice's giggling lackeys.

"Piss off, Mizuki. I've had a shitty day! And must I remind you? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have gained this 'turf', so the least you can do is go fuck yourself or have one of your followers do that and let me head home."

For a moment, nothing was said. A brief gust of wind could have floored the silver-haired teen's lackeys simply from the sheer awe and shock that they were going through. Normally, they would have pounced upon this lanky upstart for even daring to disrespect, much less curse at their leader. That was, at least, had they not heard of the scarred boy's reputation beforehand. They had heard from their leader that, despite his late entry into Chuunin-hood, this boy was not to be underestimated. Legend had it that this effeminate, pony-tailed, waif of a ninja had terrorized Jounin, successfully played pranks on the ANBU, caused mass hysteria within the citizens, and despite it all, he was still in good terms with the Hokage himself! To top it off, he had been their leader's genin teammate and it was said that Mizuki had owed his life to the scrawny chuunin. Perhaps, with that in mind, the lackeys figured their leader would go easy on the younger teen.

Then again, one should also keep in mind that most lackeys are not known for their intelligence.

A brief flare of chakra was all the warning Iruka had before he found himself slammed against the wall of a nearby building. Trying to claw away the forearm that was pressed against his neck, pinning and at the same time choking him, Iruka peered a glazed eye towards his assailant. Mizuki's eyes returned the gaze, only his were narrowed into thin, sharp, and grey slits. The snarl of anger and contempt on the silver-haired boy's thin lips suffocated Iruka more than the forearm ever could. Not easing up on the pressure of the choke-hold, Mizuki tilted his head to the side to address the shock-stricken lackeys.

"Leave."

Either they knew well enough not to disobey their leader when he was this pissed, or they dared not find out what may happen to them if they disregarded the sharp yet quietly spoken command, the graceless lackeys scrambled off to the distance as if chased by the Kyuubi itself! Some of the lackeys even had enough sense or enough wits about them to hastily wish the poor, scarred boy a peaceful journey to the afterlife.

When the silver-haired boy no longer sensed any of the familiar chakra, he eased up his forearm, causing the once-choking boy to gasp in a grateful gulp of air. Coughing out the stale air in his lungs, Iruka clutched at Mizuki's arm again, however, this time to simply maintain his balance. He had almost passed out that time and he cursed at the bastard before him! When Iruka felt that he had enough oxygen in his system and regained enough strength back in his legs, he snapped his head up to glare furiously at the grinning prick. He was about to let out a long string of expletives… when he found himself breathless again; this time from an aggressive and invasive kiss given by the elder ninja.

Feeling his knees grow weak, he once again clutched at the forearm that was now gently leaning against his neck. He dearly hoped that this wouldn't grow to be a habit. His mind seemed to stutter to a halt as the silver-haired teen's tongue thrust itself to the back of the brown-haired boy's mouth, overwhelming and demanding dominance: A dominance that was frequently, but sometimes not so easily given whenever the two teens met. Soon the tongue slowly withdrew and dry, pale but warm lips sucked at the wet and trembling tan skinned mouth. The soft feel of skin against skin was short-lived as bright straight teeth nibbled harshly against the scarred-boy's lips, scraping and nipping and bruising their way down to a smooth and dark neck. Eyes tightened with pain and a soft grunt of protest was voiced by the younger boy when the hard clack of bone against bone was felt as Mizuki slammed his hips towards the other's hip. It was only when he felt something, not as hard as bone but definitely not mere skin, thrust against enough to bruise his thigh that the brown-haired boy gathered enough wits to push away from the elder boy.

"Fuckin'… horny… bastard! Do you know… how hard it's getting… explaining these marks to the onsen elders?" Iruka breathed out heavily, still trying to regain some lost oxygen to chase away the white spots surrounding his vision.

Pulling away slowly, and deliberately brushing his hands down the tan boy's skin while slate grey eyes drank up the flushed vision of dark skin and livid and narrowed dark eyes before him, Mizuki merely grinned in response to the other's protest. It was all a game. For Mizuki and Iruka, it would always be simply a test of limits between them both. How long could one last while being choked or endure pain from the other? How much can one restrain themselves from the constant teasing and flirting? How far could they go before going "too far?" Surprisingly enough, it was Iruka that initiated this game, but it was Mizuki that always pushed up the limits. Still, sometimes, for Mizuki, there was this constant and growing urge to disregard the rules of the game, especially when his senses were overloaded from the skin on skin contact and the dry humping. Several times Mizuki had wished to stop playing around, strip Iruka bare, grab a fistful of those brown silky locks, and just slam the younger boy to the wall to fuck him senseless.

Disregarding the rules, however, would make Mizuki the loser, and if there was anything Mizuki hated, it was to lose to anything or anyone, including himself.

Still, he couldn't wait until the day when he would test out the limits of how many times Iruka would scream his name in one night, and from how far they've gone this time, it wasn't too long off. For Mizuki, it was not a question of whether he was gay or straight; it was all about control and dominance. So long, since they had been mere academy students, had Mizuki wished to conquer the impetuous and stubborn-headed brunette, to break him, to humble him, to claim him. Iruka's cocky and brash attitude had always rubbed Mizuki the wrong way, and it only had gotten worse after he had started hanging around that slut of a traitorous whore, Anko.

"Mizuki… when you're done contemplating mass genocide and all those other fluffy-bunny, sun-shining ideas of yours, I have a favor to ask you."

Breaking away from his thoughts, Mizuki turned away and curtly scoffed at the statement against his ponderings but then shifted to raise a curious, silver brow at the grinning brunette.

"I thought you wanted to go home? Ah well. So, who are you pranking this time? Ebisu? Ibiki's still out on a mission. Let me guess, you want to ship a truckload of eye-drops to the Uchiha family and switch the Hyuuga family scrolls with those in Braille?"

Iruka's open laughter and the amused smile was just filled with such childish innocence that Mizuki couldn't help but feel a brief pang of reminiscence. Even for the briefest of moments, it had been too long since Iruka had been so relaxed and his expression so pure. It reminded him of the days before the Kyuubi, a time before the hurt, before the sorrow. Of course, the show of innocence only made Mizuki want to claim Iruka even more so. Shaking his head, he gave a bored and annoyed expression and raised a brow to the other boy, as if silently demanding the other to explain the favor.

"No… but those were definitely brilliant ideas. Perhaps next time?" It was here that Iruka's smile faded and his once lively eyes shadowed with an emotion that was simply too chaotic and too troubled to identify. Turning away to stare at crack in the neighboring building, Iruka spoke again, this time his voice thick with strain, as if focusing his energy not to explode then and there. "Tomorrow… I plan to meet with the Kyuubi and..."

Whatever else that would have been said was cut off abruptly as Mizuki clenched his fingers and squeezed the tanned boy's chin, halting any movement. Mizuki's eyes blazed with array of swirling emotions, ranging from confusion, anger, hurt, betrayal, and a bit of fear.

"You're fucking mad! Not this! No! I know you wouldn't dare on your own. Who the fuck set you up to do this? I swear Iruka, if Anko put you up to this… when I get through with her, she'll think her time with Orochimaru was fucking day at the beach!" Mizuki was surprised how hard it was to control the shaking of his voice. For him, thoughts of the Kyuubi still plagued his nightmares. And while it had been only four or five years since the incident, it was still fresh and painful as a kunai to the jugular. Heck, he didn't realize his hands were trembling until he felt warm steady hands overlapping those still clenching Iruka's chin, and pulling them away gently.

"I'm tired of being scared, Mizu…"

Mizuki couldn't help but narrow his eyes as Iruka called him once again by his childhood nick-name. Again, it had been too long. Any further thoughts, however, froze when the brown-haired boy leaned over and rest his chin on the other's shoulder and caused the younger boy to brush his warm lips on the pale, November-chilled ear. It was only when Iruka wrapped his arms around Mizuki's neck and his own head that he was about to protest about the weird display… that was, until he heard the younger teen's quiet voice chilling him to the spot and yet warming his neck at the same time.

"...we're being watched…."

Mizuki closed his eyes and nodded as he wrapped his arms around Iruka's waist, and slipped his hands under the other boy's shirt. They had been spied on while planning for pranks and other deviancies so they set up a procedure in case of an emergency. There had been rumors of their "closeness" and they decided to take advantage of it fully! They would embrace like a loving couple and Iruka would dig his hands into Mizuki's hair, while Mizuki would slip his fingers within the clothes and start tapping in code their plans. Due to the obstruction, and sly natures, the majority of what passed through laid unnoticed or unrecognized by even the most experienced of shinobi.

Iruka began tapping against Mizuki's neck that the idea was indeed Anko's, but the plan was his. He began to layout the plan to the older boy, all the while looking like he was simply caressing the silver-haired boy's head. Mizuki gave a soft grunt at what seemed like random times, but was instead expressing agreement or confusion at several of the coding.

With their plan thought out, Iruka slid away from Mizuki's embrace and gave him a knowing smile. By now Mizuki had felt the unknown and hovering presence flicker giving indication that they were still here. Well… may as well give a bit of a show to their audience.

Without warning, Mizuki sunk his hands deep between the pant-line of the younger teen's chuunin uniform and shamelessly grabbed on to the bare flesh he found within. With a chuckle at the other's shocked expression, he brought a hand to pull away the neckline to the other's outfit and bit down at the bare skin available. Sucking and nipping until a large, wet, red mark glowed brightly enough to almost be seen under the clothing. Dodging a chakra enhanced swing to the head and ignoring a rude and derogatory comment about his lineage; Mizuki gave a satisfied chuckle and skipped off towards his end of the village, leaving Iruka to stomp his way to the opposite end as the boy made his way home.

Once again only darkness reigned the alleyways of the city, but the darkness was not opaque enough to shroud the glaring blue and swirling red eye that observed quietly in its depths. The eyes didn't stay long and in two blinks their presence and existence disappeared, leaving the shadows and the slight highlighting of the morning light to battle silently in their everlasting fight for dominance.

* * *

_Okay folks! I promise Iruka and Naruto will finally meet in the next chapter.I just had to build up the mood! _

_ Comments and Critique wanted:  
Please apply within!_


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